Michele Kendzie, Photographer, Scrapbook Designer, and Mom of Three Unschoolers in Fredericksburg, Virginia

1980's - My Very First Scrapbook Ever

Yes, I have been scrapping since I was a preteen in the mid-1980's. No pretty papers or embellishments, but it's a scrapbook in the truest sense of the word: a book of bits of memorabilia that meant something to me. Even today many of these things bring me good feelings and remind me of things I'd forgotten.

babysitters license from a Red Cross class, warrants for my arrest from elementary school carnival, gift tag from my imitation Cabbage Patch doll, and a pretty tag I don't remember

8th grade biology project on my family eye color, Hoover Dam brochure from when I went with my parents and brother on the dam tour, papers from playing a baseball-like game my brother and I made up, and the menu from one of my favorite restaurants, Round Table Pizza

poems I wrote and liked, my provisional driving license exam, my piano teacher's card, a comic that made me laugh, a couple things I drew, and a cat picture I loved (I loved cats in general around junior high)

funny from a friend, the back of a photo of nothing (because the caption is funnier), I don't remember why I made that paper car, a wrapper from a chocolate egg, two poems I wrote at ages 12 and 15 for school

menu for a shared meal with my friend Anna when we were 14, a list of my favorites when I was 13

program cover from when I went with my friend Anna and her family to the Del Mar Fair in '86 (age 14), some computer art I made with my friend Kim the same summer, a flyer from my favorite ice cream store, and ticket from when Kim took me to the only baseball game I'd ever see until 2017

a picture from the back of a Reader's Digest magazine (I loved cats and I loved Reader's Digest and many other magazines), cover of a box of chocolates I very much enjoyed

fun with our new Broderbund Print Shop graphics program: an award from my mom for being cheerful and a declaration from my brother that I'm an "officil metal box with wheels operator" I guess I had my provisional license because these are dated march 12, 1987 so I'd only be 15 (turned 16 that November)

an essay I wrote for myself about why 2 is my favorite number, a scoresheet for a game of Rummy with my sister (we played a lot), and print out of a silly story I wrote for some reason I don't remember (testing out our dot matrix printer maybe? or a new program perhaps?)

proof I didn't make up the idea of maple syrup on ice cream, and one of my favorite snacks at the time (now I frown at BOTH of these, preferring real maple syrup and no longer liking gummy candy; plus look at those disgusting ingredients!)

funny note from my sister that she left for me the day before our parents returned from a vacation, the napkin from my 15th birthday party, a newspaper photo of my friend Kavitha dancing at her high school

the program for a play I watched in tenth grade, newspaper clipping for a Star Trek movie (I wish I'd written something there; I don't remember who I watched it with), box from another ice cream treat I enjoyed in high school

shopping bag from a place I don't remember (I just thought it was funny), another Del Mar Fair program

beautiful calendars made with a early PC, Broderbund Print Shop, and a dot matrix computer, and a list of things I was thankful for around Thanksgiving 1985 (age 14)

a collage of photos of me, my family and my cats in the 80's, a time-capsule about the world in 1971 (the year I was born)